Release from 23.01.2025
On Friday, the win2day ICE Hockey League will see the last final rematch in the Regular Season between defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg and runners-up EC-KAC. This season, Klagenfurt has won all three season duels so far, two of them after overtime or shootout. The 44th round will also see a second Top-6 duel between HCB Südtirol Alperia and the Moser Medical Graz99ers, while EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV will host the spusu Vienna Capitals. After a full round on Friday, the first two games of the 45th round will follow on Saturday.
EC Red Bull Salzburg - EC-KAC
In the top game of the 44th round of the win2day ICE Hockey League, fourth-placed EC Red Bull Salzburg will host second-placed EC-KAC on Friday. Both teams have already been successful in action this week: Salzburg celebrated a 4:1 away win in Graz on Tuesday, while Klagenfurt recorded a 6:3 victory in Ljubljana on Wednesday. The KAC are in impressive form and have won five of their last six away games. Overall, the Carinthians have only been beaten twice in their last 13 games. Salzburg have also been strong, winning five of their last six games and are currently four points behind the KAC. Klagenfurt, on the other hand, are three points behind leaders Fehérvár. Last season, the two teams played out a thrilling final series, which Salzburg won in the seventh game. In the current season, the KAC has had the upper hand in all three encounters so far (5:2, 3:2/OT, 4:3/SO).
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - spusu Vienna Capitals
There is also a lot at stake in the game between Villach and Vienna. The Carinthians currently occupy seventh place in the table and are therefore just outside the direct play-off places. Vienna currently occupy the final pre-playoff spot in tenth place, seven points ahead of eleventh-placed Pioneers Vorarlberg. VSV are four points behind sixth-placed Linz, but have already played one game more than the Upper Austrians. The “Eagles” recent form has been mixed: they have only won one of their last six games. The Capitals have also struggled recently and have only been successful in two of their last five games. Most recently, they lost 2:4 at home to their direct rivals for tenth place, the Pioneers, and have won one of their two matches against Villach so far this season.
HC TIWAG Innsbruck - HC Pustertal
In the Tyrolean derby, bottom-placed Innsbruck welcomes ninth-placed Pustertal. The South Tyroleans currently have a comfortable ten-point lead over the eleventh-placed Pioneers. The “Wolves” recently celebrated a narrow 2:1 home win after overtime against Villach, marking their third success in the last five games. For the “Sharks”, on the other hand, things are anything but going well: they have not won any of their last three matches and have only picked up a single victory from their last eleven games. The Tyroleans have also had no chance against Pustertal so far this season, as the clear defeats in the first three duels of the season (1:4, 1:5, 1:4) show.
Pioneers Vorarlberg - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Similar to the game between Villach and Vienna, the duel between the Pioneers Vorarlberg and Linz is also about extremely important points in the battle for the playoff and pre-playoff places. The Vorarlberg team is currently in eleventh place and seven points behind the tenth-placed Capitals. The Black Wings are currently in sixth place, four points ahead of seventh-placed VSV and the same number of points as the fifth-placed Graz. Linz have recently recorded two narrow victories in a row: a 2:1 home win against Bolzano and a 3:2 win after overtime at Pustertal. The away win in Bruneck was their first since December 13, having previously lost five away games in a row. The Pioneers were first narrowly beaten 2:3 at Fehérvár last weekend, but picked up an important 4:2 win in Vienna less than 24 hours later. However, the Vorarlberg side have had great difficulties against Linz this season and have not even managed to score a goal in their previous encounters - the games ended 0:6 and 0:2 from the Pioneers' point of view.
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
League leader Fehérvár face a double challenge in Italy this weekend. Should the Hungarians win both games in regulation time and Villach remain without a point against Vienna on Friday, the 2022 finalists would be the first team to qualify for the playoffs early. Fehérvár will first visit twelfth-placed Asiago. The Hungarians have been dominant against the team from Veneto so far this season, winning all three encounters (4:3/OT, 5:3, 4:1). Asiago have not beaten Fehérvár in a total of nine games. Less than 24 hours later, the league leaders travel to Bolzano for the top game. Fehérvár go into the away trip with a tailwind, having won their last two games. The league leaders currently have a three-point lead over their closest rivals, Klagenfurt. Asiago, on the other hand, ended a 16-game losing streak last Friday with a clear 5:1 home win against Pustertal, but were beaten 3:8 in Graz two days later.
HCB Südtirol Alperia - Moser Medical Graz99ers
The sixth game of the 44th round sees another top-six clash, with third-placed Bolzano hosting fifth-placed Graz. The two teams are currently separated by seven points. The 99ers were already in action this week and were beaten 1:4 at home by Salzburg on Tuesday. It was their first defeat after two wins in a row. Bolzano, on the other hand, lost 1:2 in their last encounter in Linz, although the South Tyroleans had previously celebrated two consecutive shutout victories. All of the duels between the two teams so far this season have been hard-fought. The “Foxes” won twice (3:2, 3:2), while Graz prevailed 2:1 in the last encounter.
HCB Südtirol Alperia - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Just 24 hours later, Bolzano opens the 45th round in the top match against Fehérvár. The two teams have faced each other twice so far this season. Both times, the away team won, most recently at the beginning of November when Fehérvár won 5:3 in Bolzano. It was the Hungarians' first victory over the South Tyroleans after four consecutive defeats.
HC Pustertal - Moser Medical Graz99ers
Pustertal and Graz will also face each other on Saturday. The 99ers have had no problems with the South Tyroleans so far this season (4:1, 5:1).
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Friday, 24.01.2025:
19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC-KAC
Referees: HRONSKY, SMETANA, Moidl, Riecken. | >> ORF Sport+ <<
19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: NIKOLIC M., SCHAUER, Bedynek, Puff. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
19:15: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – HC Pustertal
Referees: FICHTNER, SIEGEL, Martin, Pardatscher. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
19:30: Pioneers Vorarlberg – Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: HUBER A., NIKOLIC K., Jedlicka, Konc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
19:45: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Jeram, Zgonc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: SEEWALD E., ZRNIC, Mantovani, Nothegger. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Saturday, 25.01.2025:
19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: FICHTNER, SIEGEL, Mantovani, Rigoni. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
19:45: HC Pustertal – Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Jedlicka, Konc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<